Maratha quota: Despite documents to show Marathas are Kunbis, govt dragging its feet on quota, claims Manoj Jarange

Manoj Jarange. File Pic

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange said on Friday that the Maharashtra government was not issuing Kunbi certificates to Marathas despite finding 57 lakh supportive documents in the state and 5,000 in Hyderabad in neighbouring Telangana and was conspiring to sow divisions in the community, reported the PTI.

Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Jalna, Manoj Jarange said that he would not rest till the community gets reservation under the Other Backward Classes segment as well as implementation of the state government's 'sage soyare' (those related by birth or marriage) notification.

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The notification and some other measures to facilitate quota benefits for the Maratha community have been opposed by OBC leaders, who claim these moves will reduce benefits of their segment.

"The state government has found 57 lakh documents in Maharashtra and 5,000 in Hyderabad that prove Marathas are Kunbis. Despite this the government is making excuses and intentionally not granting reservation. The state government is conspiring to divide the community to undermine the Maratha movement," he said, according to the PTI.

Manoj Jarange said his July 13 deadline to give reservations to the Maratha community stands and there would be no going back on it, adding that he would not rest till the aims of the movement are achieved.

"The previous BJP and Congress governments granted 16 per cent quota to the Marathas and then reduced it to 13 per cent. The current government has given just 10 per cent. This will not stand legal scrutiny and that is why we are seeking reservation under the OBC category. The BJP and Congress are making false promises to the Maratha community," Manoj Jarange claimed, the news agency reported on Friday.

Jarange slammed state minister and BJP leader Girish Mahajan for saying the 'sage soyare' notification would not hold in court, and alleged NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal was indulging in casteist politics.

Chhagan Bhujbal orchestrated the episode in which stones were pelted on OBC activists in Wadi Gododri near Antarwali Sarti here and the plan was to create friction with the Marathas, Jarange alleged.

These claims have been routinely denied by Bhujbal.

Bhujbal destroyed the Shiv Sena when he was part of it, then damaged the NCP, Jarange claimed, and asked why the BJP continued to associate itself with him (as part of the ruling alliance).

Manoj Jarange reiterated he did not intend to enter politics, asserting that "our struggle for reservations is sincere".

(with PTI inputs)